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Happy Hump Day!
Today In Nascar History
05/10/1952-Dick Rathmann wins at Darlington, win #3 of the season, and #3 of his career.
05/10/1956-Buck Baker wins at Greenville, win #5 of the season, and #17 of his career.
05/10/1966-Richard Petty wins at Macon, win #5 of the season, and #45 of his career.
May 10, 1969: Mercury collects its 25th all-time Grand National victory when LeeRoy Yarbrough wins at Darlington. It was LeeRoy Yarbrough's2nd win of the season, and #8 of his career.
30 years ago, on May 10, 1975, a 28-year old Tennessee young gun arrived on the scene at Nashville Speedway. Darrell Waltrip led 147 laps of the race distance 420 laps and beat Benny Parsons by more than 2 laps to score his frist career win. A crowd of 20,000 fans were on hand to witness the beginning of a great career. Darrell took the checkered flag in his #17 Terminal Transport Chevrolet and took home $8,000.00 for his efforts. Rounding out the top 5 were Coo Coo Marlin, Dave Marcis and Cecil Gordon. Cale Yarborough led the other 273 laps before retiring with engine problems. In 1975, Darrell Waltrip would win 2 races and finish 7th in points, the first top 10 points finish of his career. It was the first of 15 consecutive seasons in which Darrell would finish in the top 10 in points. Darrell would end his career with 84 wins (tied for 3rd all-time) and 3 Championships, 1981, 1982 and 1985.
05/10/1980-Richard Petty wins at Nashville, win #2 of the season, and #192 of his career.
May 10, 1997 The fastest Winston Cup race in history took place at Talladega Superspeedway. Mark Martin wins the caution free Die Hard 500 in 2 hours, 39 minutes and 18 seconds. It was Mark's 2nd win of the season, and 20th win of his career.
"Finally a beautiful day. It was so hot today I was sweating like a Kennedy trying to get car insurance."
--Jay Leno~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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News gathered from multiple sources, including but not limited to: Jayski.com, Cup Scene Daily, Thatsracin.com, catchfence.com, nascar.com, yahoo!, espn.com and others.
from Lou
... does anybody actually karaoke anymore?
Myers then asked Sadler what song he sings when he does karaoke.
Excuse me, but is it 1989 again? Who still does this stuff?
Mark Spoor, NASCAR.COM asked the above question in his column and I would like to ask him if when he comes to Las Vegas to cover the NASCAR race, he just stays at the track and doesn't go out on the town. Karaoke is still very popular here in Las Vegas and one of the best Karaoke places is only about two miles from the track and there are many more around town. I'm sure some of his more informed colleagues cold point him in the right direction the next time he comes to town.
Lou Elliott
Luke Perry named honorary starter for the Dodge Charger 500: Actor Luke Perry will wave the green flag to officially begin the Dodge Charger 500 on Saturday evening, May 13 at Darlington Raceway.
Richmond TV Ratings: FX's official debut of regularly scheduled NASCAR NEXTEL CUP RACING earned a 3.5/7 (5.633 million viewers) for the Richmond 400 this past Saturday. That is up +3% over last year's 3.4/7 and ranks as FX's highest rating for the Richmond race ever. These are national figures that will not change.(FOX/FX)
Rea White
Can he do it again? Can Terry Labonte work his magic at Darlington Raceway, home to his first ever Cup race and currently both his first and last Cup win.
Remember that last victory in 2003? The Southern 500, a traditional cornerstone of NASCAR, was no longer to be part of a Darlington Raceway Labor Day weekend. Tracks such as North Wilkesboro had already been abandoned and places like Darlington and Rockingham were being relegated to single-race status the following year. The sport was changing, and fans weren’t all that happy about it.
Then Labonte rode in and saved the day.
A two-time Cup champion, a veteran of the sport and a representative of the things NASCAR seemed to be leaving behind, Labonte pulled off an emotional victory to perfectly close the door on the event.
No mattered what color hat one wore that day, watching Labonte win provided its own secret thrill. Here was a driver who, like Darlington, seemed to have his best days in the past. Yet he rose up and mastered one of the series’ toughest tracks.
A movie script couldn’t have handled this day any better. Now Labonte returns for his final Cup race at Darlington. In the midst of his retirement tour, he’s running 10 races for Hendrick Motorsports this season and has two more road-course runs with Hall of Fame Racing before he walks off into the sunset.
Can he do it again? It certainly would seem perfect if he did.
By B. Duane Cross, NASCAR.COM
The month of May has been kind to recent Cup champions. In the past 10 years, the eventual series champion has been the points leader four times, and in 1997 Jeff Gordon trailed by only six points as the calendar flipped to June.
On average, the past 10 champs have been in third place at the end of May and the ones who were not in first place were 164 points behind. However, the Chase has thrown those numbers out of kilter.
No one had ever rebounded from being more than 250 points behind as May ended to win the title until "resetting the points" became part of the sport's vernacular. (Stewart was in seventh place and trailed by 231 points in 2002.)
In 2004, Kurt Busch was 277 points in arrears and hoisted the first Nextel Cup, while Tony Stewart was 259 behind last year. And even those drivers' championship seasons cannot be evenly compared.
Busch was seventh in points, trailing by 296 points, as the series rolled into Richmond to set the inaugural Chase field. He made the 10-car playoffs and made the most of the points reset.
Last year, Stewart fought his way back with a summer to remember and actually was the points leader, by 209 -- a 468-point turnaround -- when he arrived in Richmond.
And now we have Jimmie Johnson running point and heading to a track where he dominates: six top-10 finishes, including two wins, in seven starts.
Then comes Charlotte, and the No. 48 team is no slouch there, either: eight top-10s, including five wins, in nine starts.
Could this be the year that Johnson puts all the puzzle pieces together? Consider:
• With only 12 drivers within the 400-point barrier as the cutoff for the Chase field, it seems he probably won't have to worry with more than nine title contenders.
• Several marquee drivers are struggling and will have to damn-near duplicate Stewart's 2005 run during the next 16 races to get within hailing distance of the top 10.
• Win, lose or draw, Chad Knaus and the No. 48 crew are among the best in the business -- in the shop and at the track. It takes more than just a talented driver to win a race, much less the Cup.
Johnson struggled Saturday night at Richmond, but the team continued to plug away and posted a 12th-place finish.
"We were a little off at the beginning," Johnson said after his ninth top-15 finish in 10 races. "We got down a lap. We fought our way back and got back in the thick of things at the end. I think we could have been in the top 10 but I just kind of ran out of laps.
"It wasn't an easy night by any means but everybody did a good job."
Is it too early to begin thinking about the series' return to Richmond on Sept. 9? No, because the next 16 races could prove that what is past is prologue -- and Johnson may be writing the first chapters to his championship memoir.
Say Anything
"If I got into him, it's my fault. If he came down on me, it's his fault. I don't know if he's mad or said it was my fault or what."
-- Scott Riggs, on how an on-track wreck unfolds after he and Brian Vickers traded paint -- and spun out -- on Lap 386.
Figuratively Speaking
3 -- Number of times that qualifying was rained out in the first 77 races at Darlington. Qualifying has been rained out in three of the past nine races.
Fast Facts
• Big props to Virginia native Denny Hamlin. A rookie of the year contender, Hamlin finished a career-best second in his first race at Richmond. It was Hamlin's third top-10 and he's now 16th in points.
• Kevin Harvick led the most laps for the only the sixth time in his career, but he has won only one of those races: Chicagoland (July 2001). He led 272 laps Saturday night, the most laps that he has led in a race. The last time Harvick led the most laps in a race was at Dover in September 2003.
• Despite his late-race rub with Brian Vickers, Scott Riggs' season continues to bloom. While everyone else in the top 35 in owners' points has raced 10 times, the No. 10 is 22nd in points with only nine starts. Conversely, Robby Gordon fell four spots to 33rd and is only 104 points ahead of 36th place.
Up Next
Darlington Raceway
6:30 p.m. ET Saturday | FOX
• Ward Burton's victory in the 2001 Mountain Dew Southern 500 was the first Dodge modern era victory at Darlington and the first victory at Darlington by Dodge since Buddy Baker won there in Spring 1971.
• There have been eight different Bud Pole winners in the 12 races at Darlington since September 1999. Kasey Kahne (Spring 2004 and 2005) is the only repeat pole winner there since '99. No driver has won a race from the pole since Dale Jarrett won the 1997 Transouth Financial 500, 17 races ago.
• Five of the past 10 races at Darlington have been won from a top-10 starting position. The other five include two (Bobby Labonte on Sept. 3, 2000; Ward Burton on Sept. 2, 2001) that were won from the 37th-place starting position, the lowest a driver has started and won at Darlington since the inaugural race on Sept. 4, 1950, which featured a 75-car field with the winner (Johnny Mantz) starting 43rd.
• Junior Johnson and Rick Hendrick each have 11 wins at Darlington, the most of any car owner. Johnson's victories were scored by six different drivers: Cale Yarborough (three), Bill Elliott (two), Darrell Waltrip (two), LeeRoy Yarbrough (two), Bobby Allison (one) and one by Johnson as an owner/driver (1965). Hendrick's 11 victories have been posted by five different drivers: Jeff Gordon (six), Jimmie Johnson (two), Terry Labonte (one), Ricky Rudd (one) and Tim Richmond (one).
Mailbag
Why were those stupid Barbie doll-looking girls standing behind Junior in Victory Lane? They obviously weren't there to celebrate his victory. Hell, they probably don't even know who he is. But they were so distracting. Every time the poor guy tried to move to get them out of the camera shot, they kept moving over and holding those stupid things up that said Crown Royal. It isn't as if anyone didn't know who sponsored the race; it was only mentioned a million times during the race and the never-ending commercials. They ruined his moment in Victory Lane, in my opinion. He should have been surrounded by his crew and his family, not some bimbos who probably don't even know how to spell 'Victory Lane.'
-- Pam
The blonde was holding something?
I just can't take it anymore. Harvick is running away with the race for most of the day and as soon as it gets close with Junior, Hamlin and The Shrub ... we get tossed to a commercial and miss Hamlin's pass for the lead. Do they do this on purpose or are they just not paying attention to the race they're broadcasting?
-- James
Must've been another of those "never-ending" Crown Royal commercials ...
I saw a Michael Waltrip commercial stating that Darrell Waltrip would get a "ride" in Martinsville. I thought that guy was retired?
-- Patrick
RE: Retired -- Michael or Darrell? I mean, they have the same number of top-10 finishes this year.
Fantasy Perspective
• Jimmie Johnson has won three races, more than any other driver, while Tony Stewart is the only driver with six top-five finishes. They also are the only drivers with seven top-10s.
• Kevin Harvick has posted all five of his top-10 finishes in the past six races, while Carl Edwards has three consecutive top-10s. Harvick has moved from 23rd to fifth in points in that time.
And Finally ...
Is it safe to again expose Greg Biffle to sharp objects? Roush's Amber Moody chronicles Biffle's season in a nutshell:
• Daytona: After running consistently in the top 15, a cut tire on the final lap left him with a 31st-place finish.
• California: Biffle led 168 laps before a part failure sent him home with a 42nd-place finish.
• Las Vegas: He won the pole and posted an eighth-place finish.
• Atlanta: Biffle led the most laps before running out of fuel on the final lap and finishing 16th.
• Bristol: He cut a right-front tire, suffered a pit-road penalty that put him three laps down but battled back for a seventh-place finish.
• Martinsville: Biffle was running consistently in the top 10 when contact with Jeff Burton sent him to the garage for several laps. He finished 31st.
• Texas: He had a 7-second lead at one point, but contact with Kurt Busch sent him into the wall and out of the race with a 42nd-place finish.
• Phoenix: Biffle led the most laps for the second time but he ran out of gas two laps from the finish and came home 16th.
• Talladega: A part failure on Lap 45 sent him to the garage with a 38th-place finish.
• Richmond: Biffle qualified on the pole, fell a lap down following an untimely caution and fought his way back to a fourth-place finish.
And now comes Darlington, where Biffle has two top-10 finishes in five starts. He won the 2005 race and has an 11.8 average finish. Maybe most importantly, he's never had a DNF at the track. Biffle has led 257 laps at Darlington and completed 1,687 of 1,690 laps.
The opinions expressed are solely of the writer.
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Conversation: Sterling Marlin
Veteran looks back at 30-year career, changes in NASCAR
By David Newton, NASCAR.COM
On May 8, 1976, an 18-year-old named Sterling Marlin climbed behind the wheel of a stock car in NASCAR's premier series for the first time at Nashville Speedway.
Subbing for his famous father, Coo Coo, who was sidelined with a broken collarbone, Marlin started 30th and finished 29th.
He drove a car bearing the number 14, the same number he drove to a season-best ninth on Saturday for MB2 Motorsports at Richmond International Raceway.
It was an inauspicious beginning to a career that has included consecutive wins in the Daytona 500 [1994 and '95], five top-10 finishes in the final point standings and stints under stock-car legends such as Junior Johnson and Hoss Ellington.
Known for his deep Southern drawl that often is difficult to decipher, Marlin led the point standings for 25 weeks in 2002 before a neck injury suffered in a Sept. 29 wreck at Kansas prematurely ended his season.
As he approaches his 49th birthday in June, Marlin celebrated his 30-year anniversary with his first top-10 of the season, finishing ninth at Richmond.
Q: What do you remember about your first race?
Marlin: I'd run like two Late Model Sportsman races at Nashville and had gone to Talladega for an ARCA race. My dad hit the fence in qualifying and broke his shoulder ... busted him up pretty good. We missed Talladega with the Cup race, and the next week was Nashville.
The guy sponsoring the car wanted to run the race. My dad told me, 'If you can fix it, you can drive the car.' So me and my buddies and cousins got together and fixed it. We ran about 50 laps and busted a distributor and finished 29th.
Q: Is there any irony that you began in the No. 14 and possibly could end in the same number, which also was the number you wore as a high-school football player?
Marlin: Yeah. Last year when I realized I was coming over here I called [NASCAR president] Mike Helton and asked if he could hold the number. He said he had two or three people wanting it, but he held it for me until we put the deal together with MB2. We were glad to get it.
Q: What goes through your mind when you look at the banner at the front of your hauler showing all the different cars you've driven?
Marlin: It's a lot of good memories. In the early years, it was a lot of hard work. We had a flat-bed trailer and a 20-foot truck you threw all your tires and tools and spare parts and motors in. You didn't know at the time how good you had it later.
Going through the tough times, worrying about paying the tire bill and motor bill, it'll make me appreciate it a lot more when I quit. A lot of times I didn't have enough money for the motors. They'd tell me, 'Well, when you have enough money, pay me.' So I'd win a few races and pay them.
Q: Do you think many of the young drivers can relate to working on a car like you had to?
Marlin: Nah. Most of them probably couldn't even put a gear in a car. If you wanted to race you had to do it yourself. You couldn't afford to pay anybody. Shoot, we hung the bodies, built our own chassis. We had a guy in Nashville that built the motors.
It was pretty simple. We just went over to the Chevrolet place and get some sheet metal and go to the junkyard and get your car.
Q: What are some of the significant changes you've seen in the sport?
Marlin: Probably the safety part is the biggest. If you look back at some of the cars we drove in the mid-80s and early 90s, there were no headrests, no leg braces ... just an aluminum seat, not too thick. We wore open-face helmets, no gloves. You were just glad to be there.
Q: Do you have a favorite car that you drove?
Marlin: We won races in Larry McClure's car [six of his 10 career wins were in Morgan-McClure cars from 1994-1997], and the two Daytona wins were especially special. Everybody kind of wrote me off when I got in the No. 40, the Dodge, when Chip Ganassi bought it. We had two really good years, finishing third in the points [in 2001] and came back the next year and led the points until I got hurt.
Q: Do those two Daytona wins define your career?
Marlin: I'd say so. It's tough to win a 500. The '94 deal we didn't have the fastest car, but we won the race. In '95 we had a dominant car all of Speedweeks. I don't think the car was passed but one time. It was a weekend you couldn't have written any better the car was so fast.
Q: Was the crash that ended your 2002 run the most disappointing moment of your career?
Marlin: Looking back on it now it is. I didn't think a whole lot about it at the time. I shook it off and said, 'Wait until next year.'' We just never could get the momentum or chemistry back. We had some good runs. We should have won a few races in 2003, but things happened and we wound up third or fourth.
Q: Did you ever think you might finish your career without a Cup title?
Marlin: Nah. My first big break was driving for Hoss Ellington. We went to Daytona and qualified third. I ran 10 races for him and had a good chance to win a couple or three of them. Then I got to drive full time for Billy Hagan. You always thought about winning championships. Larry's team, we ran top-10 in points two or three times.
But I never got too excited about points championships while I was driving for it.
Q: You only signed a one-year deal with MB2. How many more years do you see yourself in Cup?
Marlin: I don't know. It's not nearly as much fun as it used to be. The money is really, really good. I still enjoy the racing part of it. The travel stuff gets old. I've probably only been home three days the past three weeks. I've got a lot of stuff do to there.
It's become more of a business now. And the cars have gotten so aero dependant, so engineer dependent. It's not like it used to be when you'd put springs in it and go racing. NASCAR kind of let it get away from them with some of the stuff they're doing on the cars. You've got to have a room full of engineers to do it.
Q: Would you like to be around to drive the "Car of Tomorrow,'' which is supposed to eliminate some of the aero dependencies that you referred to, for a few years?
Marlin: Well, it don't look like it's the way racing was to me, "The Car of Tomorrow.'' The safety, they've done a good job there. I haven't even seen one to be honest. I don't really care about seeing one. When the time comes to get in one, I'll get in one.
Q: What's been your favorite track?
Marlin: I really enjoyed Darlington. It was one of my favorite tracks to go to when Daddy raced. I remember how they used to put the old sealer on the track and you watched Cale [Yarborough] and Bobby [Allison] and all of 'em go at it. It takes a lot to win Darlington, and I was able to do it twice. That was a lot of fun.
Q: Which is going to happen first: NASCAR takes Darlington's final race or you stop racing?
Marlin: I hope they don't take that track. It's one of the good tracks we've got left. It's selling out now. There's a lot of history there. I'd whole lot rather be in Darlington on Labor Day than Fontana, Calif.
Q: What did you learn from your dad that you still try to use today?
Marlin: He just said when I first started to drive the car like I'm qualifying every lap. I don't see how he done it with what he had on the income he had from farming.
I run the farm now, and darn I'm not making any money on that. I don't know how he did it. I respect him a lot for doing that.
Q: Is it tough to think about the end coming to your career?
Marlin: Yeah. You know it's coming. Maybe I'll get to enjoy other things a little bit. I guess I'll spend a lot more time on the farm. It's fun to get up at 5:30 in the morning -- we've got lots of cattle -- and check things out without everybody calling and wanting this and that. I've got some real estate stuff going on, so there's still a ton of stuff to do.
Qualifying: Nextel Cup Dodge Charger 500 Friday, May 12 3:30 p.m. Speed
Qualifying: Busch Series Diamond Hill Plywood 250 Friday, May 12 5 p.m. Speed
Final practice: Nextel Cup Series Dodge Charger 500 Friday, May 12 6:30 p.m. Speed
Busch Series Diamond Hill Plywood 250 Friday, May 12 8 p.m. FX
Nextel Cup Dodge Charger 500 Saturday, May 13 6:30 p.m. Fox
All time Eastern. Times and station subject to change.
Your
Momma
Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"
"Don't come here and grumble about going too fast. Get the hell out of the race car if you've got feathers on your legs or butt. Put a kerosene rag around your ankles so the ants wins't climb up there and eat that candy ass." - Dale Earnhardt – 1998
This list is authored by:
Sandra Monacelli
221 W. 57th Street 18B
Loveland, CO 80538
970/663-6967
Today In Nascar History
05/10/1952-Dick Rathmann wins at Darlington, win #3 of the season, and #3 of his career.
05/10/1956-Buck Baker wins at Greenville, win #5 of the season, and #17 of his career.
05/10/1966-Richard Petty wins at Macon, win #5 of the season, and #45 of his career.
May 10, 1969: Mercury collects its 25th all-time Grand National victory when LeeRoy Yarbrough wins at Darlington. It was LeeRoy Yarbrough's2nd win of the season, and #8 of his career.
30 years ago, on May 10, 1975, a 28-year old Tennessee young gun arrived on the scene at Nashville Speedway. Darrell Waltrip led 147 laps of the race distance 420 laps and beat Benny Parsons by more than 2 laps to score his frist career win. A crowd of 20,000 fans were on hand to witness the beginning of a great career. Darrell took the checkered flag in his #17 Terminal Transport Chevrolet and took home $8,000.00 for his efforts. Rounding out the top 5 were Coo Coo Marlin, Dave Marcis and Cecil Gordon. Cale Yarborough led the other 273 laps before retiring with engine problems. In 1975, Darrell Waltrip would win 2 races and finish 7th in points, the first top 10 points finish of his career. It was the first of 15 consecutive seasons in which Darrell would finish in the top 10 in points. Darrell would end his career with 84 wins (tied for 3rd all-time) and 3 Championships, 1981, 1982 and 1985.
05/10/1980-Richard Petty wins at Nashville, win #2 of the season, and #192 of his career.
May 10, 1997 The fastest Winston Cup race in history took place at Talladega Superspeedway. Mark Martin wins the caution free Die Hard 500 in 2 hours, 39 minutes and 18 seconds. It was Mark's 2nd win of the season, and 20th win of his career.
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Quote of the Day"Finally a beautiful day. It was so hot today I was sweating like a Kennedy trying to get car insurance."
--Jay Leno
Top Ten Reasons Kurt Busch Went Through Pit Lane Soooo Many Times Late In The Race
Frontstretch Top Ten
Jeff Meyer
10. Two words: Goodyear Quality.
9. Wanted to make sure crew properly cleaned pit stall.
8. Maricopa County deputy was running the speed gun at the end of pit road.
7. Misinterpreted crew chief’s advice about running “inside line.”
6. Pin slipped out, ears covered eyes, couldn’t see tachometer…
5. Thought he saw Nicole Lunders and Eva “talking.”
4. Came back to ask…”Which way do I turn?”
3. Officials drew his name out of a hat. It was simply his turn to be F’ed with.
2. Eva with Kurt!? Unbelievable! Had to come down pit road again to make sure she’s still there.
1. He’s had a propensity for making an ass of himself all year. Why stop now!?
Frontstretch Top Ten
Jeff Meyer
10. Two words: Goodyear Quality.
9. Wanted to make sure crew properly cleaned pit stall.
8. Maricopa County deputy was running the speed gun at the end of pit road.
7. Misinterpreted crew chief’s advice about running “inside line.”
6. Pin slipped out, ears covered eyes, couldn’t see tachometer…
5. Thought he saw Nicole Lunders and Eva “talking.”
4. Came back to ask…”Which way do I turn?”
3. Officials drew his name out of a hat. It was simply his turn to be F’ed with.
2. Eva with Kurt!? Unbelievable! Had to come down pit road again to make sure she’s still there.
1. He’s had a propensity for making an ass of himself all year. Why stop now!?
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Comments from the Peanut Galleryfrom Lou
... does anybody actually karaoke anymore?
Myers then asked Sadler what song he sings when he does karaoke.
Excuse me, but is it 1989 again? Who still does this stuff?
Mark Spoor, NASCAR.COM asked the above question in his column and I would like to ask him if when he comes to Las Vegas to cover the NASCAR race, he just stays at the track and doesn't go out on the town. Karaoke is still very popular here in Las Vegas and one of the best Karaoke places is only about two miles from the track and there are many more around town. I'm sure some of his more informed colleagues cold point him in the right direction the next time he comes to town.
Lou Elliott
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Bits and PiecesLuke Perry named honorary starter for the Dodge Charger 500: Actor Luke Perry will wave the green flag to officially begin the Dodge Charger 500 on Saturday evening, May 13 at Darlington Raceway.
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No. 88 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Team Penalized for Rule Violation at Richmond: NASCAR issued penalties Tuesday to the No. 88 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series team for a rule violation committed last weekend at Richmond International Raceway. Richard “Slugger” Labbe, crew chief for the No. 88 Ford driven by Dale Jarrett, was fined $25,000 and suspended from NASCAR until June 7, 2006, for violating Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-Q (car, car parts, components and/or equipment used that do not conform to NASCAR rules); and 20-12.2D (unapproved rear sway bar mounting for use other than anti-roll) of the 2006 NASCAR Rule Book. The violation was discovered during pre-race inspection on May 6. Also, Jarrett has been penalized 25 driver championship points, while team owner Robert Yates has been penalized 25 owner championship points as a result of the violation. - NASCAR Press Release~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Triple-Platinum Recording Artist Carrie Underwood Speeds Into The Coca-Cola 600 - Concert and National Anthem Performance Part of Pre-Race Show: NASCAR fans have one more reason to cheer this Memorial Day weekend as 19 Recordings/Arista recording artist Carrie Underwood, whose hit single "Jesus, Take the Wheel" spent six consecutive weeks at #1 on the Hot Country Songs Chart, will headline the pre-race show at the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Menards & Moen on the #7 this week: #7-Robby Gordon will again be sponsored by Menards this weekend during the 103rd race at Darlington Raceway while Moen takes center stage on the #7 Chevrolet hood. Moen Incorporated is the No. 1 brand of faucet in North America. In addition to stylish and affordable faucets, Moen also offers residential and commercial sinks and a full range of tub and showering packages. Jim Beam, Harrah's and CarLoan.com will serve as associate.(Robby Gordon Motorsports PR)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Driver Changes UPDATE: Chad Chaffin goes from #34 to #61 [both Front Row Motorsports cars]; Kevin Lepage moved from #61 [Front Row Motorsports/Peak Performance] to #49 BAM Racing Dodge; Chad Blount replaces Chaffin in #34 Front Row Motorsports car, Blount had been on the team's #92 entry, which ceased operations. See the updated entry list at Jayski's Darlington Entry List Page.(5-9-2006) UPDATE: Kevin Lepage and crew cheif Greg Conner have left Front Row Motorsports #61 team and are now with #49 BAM Racing. Chad Chaffin will now be in the #61 Ford and Chad Blount will take over the #34 Chevy's. Mike Steurer and Teddy Brown are now working on the #34 team.(PR-FRMF)
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Sad News - Scott Geoffrion: Scott Geoffrion, a two-time former Pro Stock world championship runner-up and nine-time national event winner, died May 8 of an apparent heart attack in Southern California. He was 40. According to his family, wakes will be held Thursday in California and Monday, May 15, at the Vander Plaat Funeral Home, 257 Godwin Ave., Wyckoff, N.J. His funeral will be Tuesday, May 16, at Immaculate Conception Church, 900 Darlington Ave., Mahwah, N.J., at 10 a.m. The services are open to the public. Geoffrion is survived by his children, Kyle and Alexa; brother, Rick; sister, Michele; and parents, Richard and Jeanne. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to the Drag Racing Association of Women, www.drawfasthelp.org.(Speed Channel)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Special AAA scheme: AAA, 2006 sponsor of Roush Racing's #6 Ford driven by Nextel Cup veteran Mark Martin, announced it will introduce a special paint scheme highlighting AAA's insurance products the weekend of the "Neighborhood Excellence 400" at the Dover International Speedway in June. Weekend events also include the "AAA Insurance 200" NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event. The special AAA design also may be used selectively at other NEXTEL Cup events throughout the 2006 season. It features a dominant, dark blue background and chrome lettering while maintaining key elements of the traditional AAA #6 paint scheme.(AAA)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Terry Labonte’s last shot Rea White
Can he do it again? Can Terry Labonte work his magic at Darlington Raceway, home to his first ever Cup race and currently both his first and last Cup win.
Remember that last victory in 2003? The Southern 500, a traditional cornerstone of NASCAR, was no longer to be part of a Darlington Raceway Labor Day weekend. Tracks such as North Wilkesboro had already been abandoned and places like Darlington and Rockingham were being relegated to single-race status the following year. The sport was changing, and fans weren’t all that happy about it.
Then Labonte rode in and saved the day.
A two-time Cup champion, a veteran of the sport and a representative of the things NASCAR seemed to be leaving behind, Labonte pulled off an emotional victory to perfectly close the door on the event.
No mattered what color hat one wore that day, watching Labonte win provided its own secret thrill. Here was a driver who, like Darlington, seemed to have his best days in the past. Yet he rose up and mastered one of the series’ toughest tracks.
A movie script couldn’t have handled this day any better. Now Labonte returns for his final Cup race at Darlington. In the midst of his retirement tour, he’s running 10 races for Hendrick Motorsports this season and has two more road-course runs with Hall of Fame Racing before he walks off into the sunset.
Can he do it again? It certainly would seem perfect if he did.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tom Higgins' Scuffs
The Duke of Darlington
Once again it's race week in Darlington, for decades my favorite place on NASCAR's big-time tour.
Yep, even more than the San Francisco area. Or Phoenix. Or Daytona Beach.
Why was often-dusty, relatively rural litle Darlington my No. 1?
A variety of reasons.
I loved Darlington because of the beauty of the stately old homes out on Cashua Ferry Road, their grounds awash in color as azaleas bloomed during spring race weeks.
I loved it because of the Raceway Grill, just off what originally was the track's fourth turn. The little cafe was famous for its hamburger steaks, still sizzling in the platter when served. Legendary driver/team owner Junior Johnson once declared, "I've eaten at fine restaurants all over the world, and I've never had a better meal than a Raceway Grill hamburger steak."
I loved Darlington because of the inevitable antics of high-spirited fans in the infield.
I loved it because the track, dating to 1950 and the oldest of NASCAR's superspeedways, was such a difficult test for most drivers. David Pearson, Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, Cale Yarborough, Bobby Allison, Darrell Waltrip, Bill Elliott, Fireball Roberts and Harry Gant were the exceptions. For others, the raceway nicknamed "The Lady In Black" because of her treachery, usually was equal to its motto, "The Track Too Tough To Tame."
And I loved Darlington because it was where long-time raceway official Red Tyler held court.
W.D. "Red" Tyler of nearby Florence, S.C., joined Darlington Raceway's board of directors in 1952. He became vice-president in 1968 and president early in '83, a post he held for seven years.
If there ever has been a more colorful track official, I haven't met him.
Just being around Red was fun, mainly because of his acerbic wit. He invariably had funny things to say, and often it was on the risque side.
Some examples:
--Red loathed Clemson University. He'd attended Presbyterian College, and back in the 1930s Clemson had beaten Red's school something like 77-0. Red never forgave the Tigers.
So he always had a Clemson put-down.
Once, at a pre-race party in Darlington, Red, with his wife Margie at his side, beckoned me to their table. "Tom, I just wanted to tell you that Margie caught me in bed with another woman last night and isn't even going to do anything about it!" he said.
I said I found that difficult to believe.
"Know why?" Red continued smugly. "The other woman's husband went to Clemson!"
--While serving as Darlington Raceway's vice president Red often teased his colleague, Barney Wallace, the president, about the latter's widely-known, much-deserved reputation for being tight with the money.
As I walked toward the track's infield cafeteria one day Red yelled for me to join him in his motorhome parked nearby.
We chatted a bit and then Red said he wanted to prove a point about Wallace's parsimony.
Red radioed Wallace, who was in his office just outside the track.
"Bahney, Bahney," said Red in the deepest Southern drawl I've ever heard. "The screen do' (door) over here at the cafeteria has a fairly big hole in it. The flies are getting in there and practically carrying off the food. You need to send a carpenter or someone over heah to re-screen that do'."
There was a long silence.
Finally, Wallace responded. "Red," he said seriously, "let's wait and see what kind of crowd we have on race day before we take on that project."
Red rolled his eyes and both of us broke out in laughter.
--Red owned a very large houseboat that he based on the coast at Georgetown, S.C. He enjoyed playing host to drivers and others in racing when they came to the area to fish.
Pearson, Buddy Baker, former-driver-turned-team owner Hoss Ellington and myself once were Red's guests during a major king mackerel fishing tournament in the Myrtle Beach area.
The ocean had been very rough during the event's first day. Some participants experienced sea-sickness, and more of the same seemed in prospect as the forecast was for the waves to keep rolling high and hard.
We discussed what to do, pondering the use of Draminine, patches behind the ears, and so forth.
Red, who wasn't fishing in the tournament, scoffed.
"I have the perfect antidote for sea-sickness," he proclaimed grandly.
"For God's sake, please tell us what it is!" begged Ellington.
Red bellowed in delight and yelled, "Hug an oak tree!"
In other words, stay off the ocean.
--Fellow motorsports writer and pal Steve Waid and I once were fishing with Red at the Winyah Bay jetties near Georgetown.
We were using fiddler crabs for bait and trying to catch sheepshead, which are tasty and scrappy fighters.
Waid, concededly not an angler, was having a difficult time getting fiddlers on his hook.
"Boy, it's simple," said Red. "Just turn 'em over and tickle their bellies. When they open their mouths to laugh, stick the hook in there."
Poor Steve spent the next hour trying that technique until I told him better.
At some point during Red's reign as track president I nicknamed him "The Duke Of Darlington."
He hated it--or at least made like he did--and thereafter he had a good-natured zinger awaiting me every time we happened to meet.
I got him back--and good--during one of the NASCAR fraternity's trips to New York for the post-season awards festivities.
Red and I were sharing a table with friends at Peacock Alley in the Waldorf-Astoria's lobby. Three elegant, elderly ladies sat nearby.
As Red arose to go to a NASCAR meeting, one of the ladies commented on his drawl.
"My, what a charming accent," she said. "I bet when you were a little boy Gen. Robert E. Lee was your hero."
I couldn't resist.
"Ma'am," I said. "I've got news for you. When Robert E. Lee was a little boy, Red Tyler was HIS hero"
There was a lot of laughter, and Tyler's face turned as red as his hair once was.
His one-liners aimed at me grew in intensisty and frequency. I enjoyed every one of them.
Sadly, Red died suddently of a heart attack in March of 1994 at age 73 just days before a gleaming new grandstand, The Tyler Tower, was to be dedicated in his honor at Darlington Raceway.
That tower, and all other seats at the grand old track are sold out for Saturday night's Dodge Charger 500. Hopefully, a good time will be had by all.
Ol' Red would like that.
From The Northwest Herald
By MONTE DUTTON
RICHMOND, Va. – Sterling Marlin is a throwback, a successful driver more affluent as a result of NASCAR's recent growth but more comfortable racing back in the day when it was all a bit less formal.
Last weekend marked the 30th anniversary of Marlin's first major NASCAR race, at the Nashville (Tenn.) Fairgrounds on May 8, 1976. He started that Winston Cup race in 30th place and finished 29th.
It wouldn't be until Feb. 20, 1994 that Marlin would win his first race, in the Daytona 500.
He since has won nine races, the most recent at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway on March 17, 2002.
Marlin, 48, grew up the son of a racer. Clifton "Coo Coo" Marlin, who died last year, competed in as many races as he could manage and gave his son a start in the sport.
"Back when I got started all you had were an open trailer, 2-ton Chevrolet truck with a 16-foot bed," Marlin said. "And you hauled all your toolboxes, spare tires, spare motor in one deal and just went racing. And you didn't think anything about it because that's all anybody else had.
"That's how you used to have to do it. You didn't have any money. I think the first truck Dad bought was an old service truck from Goodyear, and he modified the bed and went racing. Back then you had to build your race car, build your trailer and build your tow truck."
Marlin isn't living in the past. He concedes that the money and the level of competition are higher now than in the old days.
"You had a little money, not a whole lot," Marlin said. "Money wasn't near what it is now. You made ends meet and had supper on the table. That was what was important. There wasn't all the pressure and the nonsense that goes on now. All the teams really got along good, and you borrowed parts from one another and helped each other. Not that they don't know, but the camaraderie back then was really good.
"Back then, I don't know, it was just more laid-back. Not near as many rules. ... Now it's a rat race."
Marlin, who grew up and still lives in Columbia, Tenn., is in his first year driving the No. 14 Waste Management Chevrolet. Given the choice, he would rather race the No. 22 Ford Thunderbird he drove for Junior Johnson in 1991-92.
"It drove better," he said. "It was easier to work on. It didn't have all the high-tech stuff you've got now. It's harder to get the cars today to handle. The measurements and everything else are so precise, so fine. It's just ridiculous."
Once again it's race week in Darlington, for decades my favorite place on NASCAR's big-time tour.
Yep, even more than the San Francisco area. Or Phoenix. Or Daytona Beach.
Why was often-dusty, relatively rural litle Darlington my No. 1?
A variety of reasons.
I loved Darlington because of the beauty of the stately old homes out on Cashua Ferry Road, their grounds awash in color as azaleas bloomed during spring race weeks.
I loved it because of the Raceway Grill, just off what originally was the track's fourth turn. The little cafe was famous for its hamburger steaks, still sizzling in the platter when served. Legendary driver/team owner Junior Johnson once declared, "I've eaten at fine restaurants all over the world, and I've never had a better meal than a Raceway Grill hamburger steak."
I loved Darlington because of the inevitable antics of high-spirited fans in the infield.
I loved it because the track, dating to 1950 and the oldest of NASCAR's superspeedways, was such a difficult test for most drivers. David Pearson, Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, Cale Yarborough, Bobby Allison, Darrell Waltrip, Bill Elliott, Fireball Roberts and Harry Gant were the exceptions. For others, the raceway nicknamed "The Lady In Black" because of her treachery, usually was equal to its motto, "The Track Too Tough To Tame."
And I loved Darlington because it was where long-time raceway official Red Tyler held court.
W.D. "Red" Tyler of nearby Florence, S.C., joined Darlington Raceway's board of directors in 1952. He became vice-president in 1968 and president early in '83, a post he held for seven years.
If there ever has been a more colorful track official, I haven't met him.
Just being around Red was fun, mainly because of his acerbic wit. He invariably had funny things to say, and often it was on the risque side.
Some examples:
--Red loathed Clemson University. He'd attended Presbyterian College, and back in the 1930s Clemson had beaten Red's school something like 77-0. Red never forgave the Tigers.
So he always had a Clemson put-down.
Once, at a pre-race party in Darlington, Red, with his wife Margie at his side, beckoned me to their table. "Tom, I just wanted to tell you that Margie caught me in bed with another woman last night and isn't even going to do anything about it!" he said.
I said I found that difficult to believe.
"Know why?" Red continued smugly. "The other woman's husband went to Clemson!"
--While serving as Darlington Raceway's vice president Red often teased his colleague, Barney Wallace, the president, about the latter's widely-known, much-deserved reputation for being tight with the money.
As I walked toward the track's infield cafeteria one day Red yelled for me to join him in his motorhome parked nearby.
We chatted a bit and then Red said he wanted to prove a point about Wallace's parsimony.
Red radioed Wallace, who was in his office just outside the track.
"Bahney, Bahney," said Red in the deepest Southern drawl I've ever heard. "The screen do' (door) over here at the cafeteria has a fairly big hole in it. The flies are getting in there and practically carrying off the food. You need to send a carpenter or someone over heah to re-screen that do'."
There was a long silence.
Finally, Wallace responded. "Red," he said seriously, "let's wait and see what kind of crowd we have on race day before we take on that project."
Red rolled his eyes and both of us broke out in laughter.
--Red owned a very large houseboat that he based on the coast at Georgetown, S.C. He enjoyed playing host to drivers and others in racing when they came to the area to fish.
Pearson, Buddy Baker, former-driver-turned-team owner Hoss Ellington and myself once were Red's guests during a major king mackerel fishing tournament in the Myrtle Beach area.
The ocean had been very rough during the event's first day. Some participants experienced sea-sickness, and more of the same seemed in prospect as the forecast was for the waves to keep rolling high and hard.
We discussed what to do, pondering the use of Draminine, patches behind the ears, and so forth.
Red, who wasn't fishing in the tournament, scoffed.
"I have the perfect antidote for sea-sickness," he proclaimed grandly.
"For God's sake, please tell us what it is!" begged Ellington.
Red bellowed in delight and yelled, "Hug an oak tree!"
In other words, stay off the ocean.
--Fellow motorsports writer and pal Steve Waid and I once were fishing with Red at the Winyah Bay jetties near Georgetown.
We were using fiddler crabs for bait and trying to catch sheepshead, which are tasty and scrappy fighters.
Waid, concededly not an angler, was having a difficult time getting fiddlers on his hook.
"Boy, it's simple," said Red. "Just turn 'em over and tickle their bellies. When they open their mouths to laugh, stick the hook in there."
Poor Steve spent the next hour trying that technique until I told him better.
At some point during Red's reign as track president I nicknamed him "The Duke Of Darlington."
He hated it--or at least made like he did--and thereafter he had a good-natured zinger awaiting me every time we happened to meet.
I got him back--and good--during one of the NASCAR fraternity's trips to New York for the post-season awards festivities.
Red and I were sharing a table with friends at Peacock Alley in the Waldorf-Astoria's lobby. Three elegant, elderly ladies sat nearby.
As Red arose to go to a NASCAR meeting, one of the ladies commented on his drawl.
"My, what a charming accent," she said. "I bet when you were a little boy Gen. Robert E. Lee was your hero."
I couldn't resist.
"Ma'am," I said. "I've got news for you. When Robert E. Lee was a little boy, Red Tyler was HIS hero"
There was a lot of laughter, and Tyler's face turned as red as his hair once was.
His one-liners aimed at me grew in intensisty and frequency. I enjoyed every one of them.
Sadly, Red died suddently of a heart attack in March of 1994 at age 73 just days before a gleaming new grandstand, The Tyler Tower, was to be dedicated in his honor at Darlington Raceway.
That tower, and all other seats at the grand old track are sold out for Saturday night's Dodge Charger 500. Hopefully, a good time will be had by all.
Ol' Red would like that.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Marlin longs for old daysFrom The Northwest Herald
By MONTE DUTTON
RICHMOND, Va. – Sterling Marlin is a throwback, a successful driver more affluent as a result of NASCAR's recent growth but more comfortable racing back in the day when it was all a bit less formal.
Last weekend marked the 30th anniversary of Marlin's first major NASCAR race, at the Nashville (Tenn.) Fairgrounds on May 8, 1976. He started that Winston Cup race in 30th place and finished 29th.
It wouldn't be until Feb. 20, 1994 that Marlin would win his first race, in the Daytona 500.
He since has won nine races, the most recent at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway on March 17, 2002.
Marlin, 48, grew up the son of a racer. Clifton "Coo Coo" Marlin, who died last year, competed in as many races as he could manage and gave his son a start in the sport.
"Back when I got started all you had were an open trailer, 2-ton Chevrolet truck with a 16-foot bed," Marlin said. "And you hauled all your toolboxes, spare tires, spare motor in one deal and just went racing. And you didn't think anything about it because that's all anybody else had.
"That's how you used to have to do it. You didn't have any money. I think the first truck Dad bought was an old service truck from Goodyear, and he modified the bed and went racing. Back then you had to build your race car, build your trailer and build your tow truck."
Marlin isn't living in the past. He concedes that the money and the level of competition are higher now than in the old days.
"You had a little money, not a whole lot," Marlin said. "Money wasn't near what it is now. You made ends meet and had supper on the table. That was what was important. There wasn't all the pressure and the nonsense that goes on now. All the teams really got along good, and you borrowed parts from one another and helped each other. Not that they don't know, but the camaraderie back then was really good.
"Back then, I don't know, it was just more laid-back. Not near as many rules. ... Now it's a rat race."
Marlin, who grew up and still lives in Columbia, Tenn., is in his first year driving the No. 14 Waste Management Chevrolet. Given the choice, he would rather race the No. 22 Ford Thunderbird he drove for Junior Johnson in 1991-92.
"It drove better," he said. "It was easier to work on. It didn't have all the high-tech stuff you've got now. It's harder to get the cars today to handle. The measurements and everything else are so precise, so fine. It's just ridiculous."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Darlington Race Falls At Perfect Time For Marlin
DMF Communications Press Release
DARLINGTON, S.C. (May 10, 2006)— Sterling Marlin can’t think of a better week to head to Darlington Raceway than the one following his team’s season-high finish.
Marlin has a solid history at the 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval and in his 43 Darlington starts he has recorded two wins, (spring races -- 1995 & 2002), 10 top fives, 16 top 10s, and two pole positions.
Add Marlin’s record at the track to the momentum the team is carrying from last week’s ninth-place result in Richmond and one can understand why the No. 14 Ginn Clubs & Resorts Chevrolet team is excited about Saturday night’s Nextel Cup race.
“Not only do I like Darlington, but it’s one of the favorite tracks for my crew chief Doug Randolph too,” offered Marlin. “We both look forward to this race every year, so for it to fall the week after we score our best finish of the season is great. We’re taking a lot of momentum with us and hopefully it will make for another strong finish.”
Marlin’s first start at the “Track Too Tough To Tame” came in 1980, where he drove from a 33rd place starting spot to an 11th place finish.
"Darlington has been a special track for me from the beginning,” offered Marlin, who celebrated the 30th anniversary of his first Cup start May 8. “I’ve been racing there for more than twenty years and loved every trip. I’ve had good finishes and bad finishes, but they were all memorable. There aren’t many tracks left that have been around since the beginning, and these days a lot of the tracks are the same. Darlington’s different -- that’s what makes it special.”
Randolph believes another strong finish could be a turning point for the team.
“This could be a great weekend for the Ginn Clubs & Resorts team,” said Randolph. “We ended last weekend on a high note and are hopeful we can pick up where we left off. If we can get the finish we think we’re capable of this weekend we’ll be on a roll.”
Saturday night’s NEXTEL Cup event will be broadcast live on FOX beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~DMF Communications Press Release
DARLINGTON, S.C. (May 10, 2006)— Sterling Marlin can’t think of a better week to head to Darlington Raceway than the one following his team’s season-high finish.
Marlin has a solid history at the 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval and in his 43 Darlington starts he has recorded two wins, (spring races -- 1995 & 2002), 10 top fives, 16 top 10s, and two pole positions.
Add Marlin’s record at the track to the momentum the team is carrying from last week’s ninth-place result in Richmond and one can understand why the No. 14 Ginn Clubs & Resorts Chevrolet team is excited about Saturday night’s Nextel Cup race.
“Not only do I like Darlington, but it’s one of the favorite tracks for my crew chief Doug Randolph too,” offered Marlin. “We both look forward to this race every year, so for it to fall the week after we score our best finish of the season is great. We’re taking a lot of momentum with us and hopefully it will make for another strong finish.”
Marlin’s first start at the “Track Too Tough To Tame” came in 1980, where he drove from a 33rd place starting spot to an 11th place finish.
"Darlington has been a special track for me from the beginning,” offered Marlin, who celebrated the 30th anniversary of his first Cup start May 8. “I’ve been racing there for more than twenty years and loved every trip. I’ve had good finishes and bad finishes, but they were all memorable. There aren’t many tracks left that have been around since the beginning, and these days a lot of the tracks are the same. Darlington’s different -- that’s what makes it special.”
Randolph believes another strong finish could be a turning point for the team.
“This could be a great weekend for the Ginn Clubs & Resorts team,” said Randolph. “We ended last weekend on a high note and are hopeful we can pick up where we left off. If we can get the finish we think we’re capable of this weekend we’ll be on a roll.”
Saturday night’s NEXTEL Cup event will be broadcast live on FOX beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET
Yarborough not slowing down yet
Lou Bezjak
Cale Yarborough retired from NASCAR in 1988.
But his life has hardly slowed down.
Between running his car dealership, Cale Yarborough Honda, or putting in a lake on his 30-acre property, the Sardis native definitely is enjoying life after racing.
"I'm real busy," Yarborough said last week. "But I got a lot to be thankful for. I'm blessed to have the kind of a career that I had to make a living and I feel very, very fortunate."
Yarborough made a good living at Darlington Raceway, his home track and one he snuck in as a child to see his first race.
Yarborough won five times at the track and posted 17 top-10 finishes in 49 starts at the "Track Too Tough to Tame."
"It was a tough old race track and the best one to win at," Yarborough said. "And it was my home track and I wanted to do good there more than anywhere else."
Because of his love for Darlington, Yarborough was worried about the future of the track, especially after Bill France put the track on notice in 2003 during the NASCAR Media Tour.
Since then, the track has enjoyed a renaissance, despite getting one of its race dates taken from it.
The raceway has since added lights, gotten the go-ahead for a $6.5 million capital improvement project and Saturday's race, the Dodge Charger 500, sold out two weeks in advance, the quickest sellout in the track's illustrious history.
"I hated it when they lost one of the races, but it has been good for them," Yarborough said. "They didn't know what was going to happen, but it turned out it was a good day for them."
Yarborough said he still follows the sport pretty regularly in between his other duties during his active retirement.
Yarborough said he won't be at Saturday's race but will watch it on TV.
"I'll be at the lake," he said.
The 67-year-old won 83 races in his career, which began in 1957. He won three straight Winston Cup titles from 1976-78 and will likely be a first-ballot hall of famer when NASCAR opens up its Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C.
The building is expected to be finished in 2009. But the induction process and who will vote hasn't been announced.
However, Yarborough doesn't seem concerned if he will get in on the first try.
"A lot of people deserve to be in it, so I don't know," he said. "I'm just happy to see it come to Charlotte because it is the hub of nascar."
Lou Bezjak
Cale Yarborough retired from NASCAR in 1988.
But his life has hardly slowed down.
Between running his car dealership, Cale Yarborough Honda, or putting in a lake on his 30-acre property, the Sardis native definitely is enjoying life after racing.
"I'm real busy," Yarborough said last week. "But I got a lot to be thankful for. I'm blessed to have the kind of a career that I had to make a living and I feel very, very fortunate."
Yarborough made a good living at Darlington Raceway, his home track and one he snuck in as a child to see his first race.
Yarborough won five times at the track and posted 17 top-10 finishes in 49 starts at the "Track Too Tough to Tame."
"It was a tough old race track and the best one to win at," Yarborough said. "And it was my home track and I wanted to do good there more than anywhere else."
Because of his love for Darlington, Yarborough was worried about the future of the track, especially after Bill France put the track on notice in 2003 during the NASCAR Media Tour.
Since then, the track has enjoyed a renaissance, despite getting one of its race dates taken from it.
The raceway has since added lights, gotten the go-ahead for a $6.5 million capital improvement project and Saturday's race, the Dodge Charger 500, sold out two weeks in advance, the quickest sellout in the track's illustrious history.
"I hated it when they lost one of the races, but it has been good for them," Yarborough said. "They didn't know what was going to happen, but it turned out it was a good day for them."
Yarborough said he still follows the sport pretty regularly in between his other duties during his active retirement.
Yarborough said he won't be at Saturday's race but will watch it on TV.
"I'll be at the lake," he said.
The 67-year-old won 83 races in his career, which began in 1957. He won three straight Winston Cup titles from 1976-78 and will likely be a first-ballot hall of famer when NASCAR opens up its Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C.
The building is expected to be finished in 2009. But the induction process and who will vote hasn't been announced.
However, Yarborough doesn't seem concerned if he will get in on the first try.
"A lot of people deserve to be in it, so I don't know," he said. "I'm just happy to see it come to Charlotte because it is the hub of nascar."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cross' Words
RichmondBy B. Duane Cross, NASCAR.COM
The month of May has been kind to recent Cup champions. In the past 10 years, the eventual series champion has been the points leader four times, and in 1997 Jeff Gordon trailed by only six points as the calendar flipped to June.
On average, the past 10 champs have been in third place at the end of May and the ones who were not in first place were 164 points behind. However, the Chase has thrown those numbers out of kilter.
No one had ever rebounded from being more than 250 points behind as May ended to win the title until "resetting the points" became part of the sport's vernacular. (Stewart was in seventh place and trailed by 231 points in 2002.)
In 2004, Kurt Busch was 277 points in arrears and hoisted the first Nextel Cup, while Tony Stewart was 259 behind last year. And even those drivers' championship seasons cannot be evenly compared.
Busch was seventh in points, trailing by 296 points, as the series rolled into Richmond to set the inaugural Chase field. He made the 10-car playoffs and made the most of the points reset.
Last year, Stewart fought his way back with a summer to remember and actually was the points leader, by 209 -- a 468-point turnaround -- when he arrived in Richmond.
And now we have Jimmie Johnson running point and heading to a track where he dominates: six top-10 finishes, including two wins, in seven starts.
Then comes Charlotte, and the No. 48 team is no slouch there, either: eight top-10s, including five wins, in nine starts.
Could this be the year that Johnson puts all the puzzle pieces together? Consider:
• With only 12 drivers within the 400-point barrier as the cutoff for the Chase field, it seems he probably won't have to worry with more than nine title contenders.
• Several marquee drivers are struggling and will have to damn-near duplicate Stewart's 2005 run during the next 16 races to get within hailing distance of the top 10.
• Win, lose or draw, Chad Knaus and the No. 48 crew are among the best in the business -- in the shop and at the track. It takes more than just a talented driver to win a race, much less the Cup.
Johnson struggled Saturday night at Richmond, but the team continued to plug away and posted a 12th-place finish.
"We were a little off at the beginning," Johnson said after his ninth top-15 finish in 10 races. "We got down a lap. We fought our way back and got back in the thick of things at the end. I think we could have been in the top 10 but I just kind of ran out of laps.
"It wasn't an easy night by any means but everybody did a good job."
Is it too early to begin thinking about the series' return to Richmond on Sept. 9? No, because the next 16 races could prove that what is past is prologue -- and Johnson may be writing the first chapters to his championship memoir.
Say Anything
"If I got into him, it's my fault. If he came down on me, it's his fault. I don't know if he's mad or said it was my fault or what."
-- Scott Riggs, on how an on-track wreck unfolds after he and Brian Vickers traded paint -- and spun out -- on Lap 386.
Figuratively Speaking
3 -- Number of times that qualifying was rained out in the first 77 races at Darlington. Qualifying has been rained out in three of the past nine races.
Fast Facts
• Big props to Virginia native Denny Hamlin. A rookie of the year contender, Hamlin finished a career-best second in his first race at Richmond. It was Hamlin's third top-10 and he's now 16th in points.
• Kevin Harvick led the most laps for the only the sixth time in his career, but he has won only one of those races: Chicagoland (July 2001). He led 272 laps Saturday night, the most laps that he has led in a race. The last time Harvick led the most laps in a race was at Dover in September 2003.
• Despite his late-race rub with Brian Vickers, Scott Riggs' season continues to bloom. While everyone else in the top 35 in owners' points has raced 10 times, the No. 10 is 22nd in points with only nine starts. Conversely, Robby Gordon fell four spots to 33rd and is only 104 points ahead of 36th place.
Up Next
Darlington Raceway
6:30 p.m. ET Saturday | FOX
• Ward Burton's victory in the 2001 Mountain Dew Southern 500 was the first Dodge modern era victory at Darlington and the first victory at Darlington by Dodge since Buddy Baker won there in Spring 1971.
• There have been eight different Bud Pole winners in the 12 races at Darlington since September 1999. Kasey Kahne (Spring 2004 and 2005) is the only repeat pole winner there since '99. No driver has won a race from the pole since Dale Jarrett won the 1997 Transouth Financial 500, 17 races ago.
• Five of the past 10 races at Darlington have been won from a top-10 starting position. The other five include two (Bobby Labonte on Sept. 3, 2000; Ward Burton on Sept. 2, 2001) that were won from the 37th-place starting position, the lowest a driver has started and won at Darlington since the inaugural race on Sept. 4, 1950, which featured a 75-car field with the winner (Johnny Mantz) starting 43rd.
• Junior Johnson and Rick Hendrick each have 11 wins at Darlington, the most of any car owner. Johnson's victories were scored by six different drivers: Cale Yarborough (three), Bill Elliott (two), Darrell Waltrip (two), LeeRoy Yarbrough (two), Bobby Allison (one) and one by Johnson as an owner/driver (1965). Hendrick's 11 victories have been posted by five different drivers: Jeff Gordon (six), Jimmie Johnson (two), Terry Labonte (one), Ricky Rudd (one) and Tim Richmond (one).
Mailbag
Why were those stupid Barbie doll-looking girls standing behind Junior in Victory Lane? They obviously weren't there to celebrate his victory. Hell, they probably don't even know who he is. But they were so distracting. Every time the poor guy tried to move to get them out of the camera shot, they kept moving over and holding those stupid things up that said Crown Royal. It isn't as if anyone didn't know who sponsored the race; it was only mentioned a million times during the race and the never-ending commercials. They ruined his moment in Victory Lane, in my opinion. He should have been surrounded by his crew and his family, not some bimbos who probably don't even know how to spell 'Victory Lane.'
-- Pam
The blonde was holding something?
I just can't take it anymore. Harvick is running away with the race for most of the day and as soon as it gets close with Junior, Hamlin and The Shrub ... we get tossed to a commercial and miss Hamlin's pass for the lead. Do they do this on purpose or are they just not paying attention to the race they're broadcasting?
-- James
Must've been another of those "never-ending" Crown Royal commercials ...
I saw a Michael Waltrip commercial stating that Darrell Waltrip would get a "ride" in Martinsville. I thought that guy was retired?
-- Patrick
RE: Retired -- Michael or Darrell? I mean, they have the same number of top-10 finishes this year.
Fantasy Perspective
• Jimmie Johnson has won three races, more than any other driver, while Tony Stewart is the only driver with six top-five finishes. They also are the only drivers with seven top-10s.
• Kevin Harvick has posted all five of his top-10 finishes in the past six races, while Carl Edwards has three consecutive top-10s. Harvick has moved from 23rd to fifth in points in that time.
And Finally ...
Is it safe to again expose Greg Biffle to sharp objects? Roush's Amber Moody chronicles Biffle's season in a nutshell:
• Daytona: After running consistently in the top 15, a cut tire on the final lap left him with a 31st-place finish.
• California: Biffle led 168 laps before a part failure sent him home with a 42nd-place finish.
• Las Vegas: He won the pole and posted an eighth-place finish.
• Atlanta: Biffle led the most laps before running out of fuel on the final lap and finishing 16th.
• Bristol: He cut a right-front tire, suffered a pit-road penalty that put him three laps down but battled back for a seventh-place finish.
• Martinsville: Biffle was running consistently in the top 10 when contact with Jeff Burton sent him to the garage for several laps. He finished 31st.
• Texas: He had a 7-second lead at one point, but contact with Kurt Busch sent him into the wall and out of the race with a 42nd-place finish.
• Phoenix: Biffle led the most laps for the second time but he ran out of gas two laps from the finish and came home 16th.
• Talladega: A part failure on Lap 45 sent him to the garage with a 38th-place finish.
• Richmond: Biffle qualified on the pole, fell a lap down following an untimely caution and fought his way back to a fourth-place finish.
And now comes Darlington, where Biffle has two top-10 finishes in five starts. He won the 2005 race and has an 11.8 average finish. Maybe most importantly, he's never had a DNF at the track. Biffle has led 257 laps at Darlington and completed 1,687 of 1,690 laps.
The opinions expressed are solely of the writer.
Veteran looks back at 30-year career, changes in NASCAR
By David Newton, NASCAR.COM
On May 8, 1976, an 18-year-old named Sterling Marlin climbed behind the wheel of a stock car in NASCAR's premier series for the first time at Nashville Speedway.
Subbing for his famous father, Coo Coo, who was sidelined with a broken collarbone, Marlin started 30th and finished 29th.
He drove a car bearing the number 14, the same number he drove to a season-best ninth on Saturday for MB2 Motorsports at Richmond International Raceway.
It was an inauspicious beginning to a career that has included consecutive wins in the Daytona 500 [1994 and '95], five top-10 finishes in the final point standings and stints under stock-car legends such as Junior Johnson and Hoss Ellington.
Known for his deep Southern drawl that often is difficult to decipher, Marlin led the point standings for 25 weeks in 2002 before a neck injury suffered in a Sept. 29 wreck at Kansas prematurely ended his season.
As he approaches his 49th birthday in June, Marlin celebrated his 30-year anniversary with his first top-10 of the season, finishing ninth at Richmond.
Q: What do you remember about your first race?
Marlin: I'd run like two Late Model Sportsman races at Nashville and had gone to Talladega for an ARCA race. My dad hit the fence in qualifying and broke his shoulder ... busted him up pretty good. We missed Talladega with the Cup race, and the next week was Nashville.
The guy sponsoring the car wanted to run the race. My dad told me, 'If you can fix it, you can drive the car.' So me and my buddies and cousins got together and fixed it. We ran about 50 laps and busted a distributor and finished 29th.
Q: Is there any irony that you began in the No. 14 and possibly could end in the same number, which also was the number you wore as a high-school football player?
Marlin: Yeah. Last year when I realized I was coming over here I called [NASCAR president] Mike Helton and asked if he could hold the number. He said he had two or three people wanting it, but he held it for me until we put the deal together with MB2. We were glad to get it.
Q: What goes through your mind when you look at the banner at the front of your hauler showing all the different cars you've driven?
Marlin: It's a lot of good memories. In the early years, it was a lot of hard work. We had a flat-bed trailer and a 20-foot truck you threw all your tires and tools and spare parts and motors in. You didn't know at the time how good you had it later.
Going through the tough times, worrying about paying the tire bill and motor bill, it'll make me appreciate it a lot more when I quit. A lot of times I didn't have enough money for the motors. They'd tell me, 'Well, when you have enough money, pay me.' So I'd win a few races and pay them.
Q: Do you think many of the young drivers can relate to working on a car like you had to?
Marlin: Nah. Most of them probably couldn't even put a gear in a car. If you wanted to race you had to do it yourself. You couldn't afford to pay anybody. Shoot, we hung the bodies, built our own chassis. We had a guy in Nashville that built the motors.
It was pretty simple. We just went over to the Chevrolet place and get some sheet metal and go to the junkyard and get your car.
Q: What are some of the significant changes you've seen in the sport?
Marlin: Probably the safety part is the biggest. If you look back at some of the cars we drove in the mid-80s and early 90s, there were no headrests, no leg braces ... just an aluminum seat, not too thick. We wore open-face helmets, no gloves. You were just glad to be there.
Q: Do you have a favorite car that you drove?
Marlin: We won races in Larry McClure's car [six of his 10 career wins were in Morgan-McClure cars from 1994-1997], and the two Daytona wins were especially special. Everybody kind of wrote me off when I got in the No. 40, the Dodge, when Chip Ganassi bought it. We had two really good years, finishing third in the points [in 2001] and came back the next year and led the points until I got hurt.
Q: Do those two Daytona wins define your career?
Marlin: I'd say so. It's tough to win a 500. The '94 deal we didn't have the fastest car, but we won the race. In '95 we had a dominant car all of Speedweeks. I don't think the car was passed but one time. It was a weekend you couldn't have written any better the car was so fast.
Q: Was the crash that ended your 2002 run the most disappointing moment of your career?
Marlin: Looking back on it now it is. I didn't think a whole lot about it at the time. I shook it off and said, 'Wait until next year.'' We just never could get the momentum or chemistry back. We had some good runs. We should have won a few races in 2003, but things happened and we wound up third or fourth.
Q: Did you ever think you might finish your career without a Cup title?
Marlin: Nah. My first big break was driving for Hoss Ellington. We went to Daytona and qualified third. I ran 10 races for him and had a good chance to win a couple or three of them. Then I got to drive full time for Billy Hagan. You always thought about winning championships. Larry's team, we ran top-10 in points two or three times.
But I never got too excited about points championships while I was driving for it.
Q: You only signed a one-year deal with MB2. How many more years do you see yourself in Cup?
Marlin: I don't know. It's not nearly as much fun as it used to be. The money is really, really good. I still enjoy the racing part of it. The travel stuff gets old. I've probably only been home three days the past three weeks. I've got a lot of stuff do to there.
It's become more of a business now. And the cars have gotten so aero dependant, so engineer dependent. It's not like it used to be when you'd put springs in it and go racing. NASCAR kind of let it get away from them with some of the stuff they're doing on the cars. You've got to have a room full of engineers to do it.
Q: Would you like to be around to drive the "Car of Tomorrow,'' which is supposed to eliminate some of the aero dependencies that you referred to, for a few years?
Marlin: Well, it don't look like it's the way racing was to me, "The Car of Tomorrow.'' The safety, they've done a good job there. I haven't even seen one to be honest. I don't really care about seeing one. When the time comes to get in one, I'll get in one.
Q: What's been your favorite track?
Marlin: I really enjoyed Darlington. It was one of my favorite tracks to go to when Daddy raced. I remember how they used to put the old sealer on the track and you watched Cale [Yarborough] and Bobby [Allison] and all of 'em go at it. It takes a lot to win Darlington, and I was able to do it twice. That was a lot of fun.
Q: Which is going to happen first: NASCAR takes Darlington's final race or you stop racing?
Marlin: I hope they don't take that track. It's one of the good tracks we've got left. It's selling out now. There's a lot of history there. I'd whole lot rather be in Darlington on Labor Day than Fontana, Calif.
Q: What did you learn from your dad that you still try to use today?
Marlin: He just said when I first started to drive the car like I'm qualifying every lap. I don't see how he done it with what he had on the income he had from farming.
I run the farm now, and darn I'm not making any money on that. I don't know how he did it. I respect him a lot for doing that.
Q: Is it tough to think about the end coming to your career?
Marlin: Yeah. You know it's coming. Maybe I'll get to enjoy other things a little bit. I guess I'll spend a lot more time on the farm. It's fun to get up at 5:30 in the morning -- we've got lots of cattle -- and check things out without everybody calling and wanting this and that. I've got some real estate stuff going on, so there's still a ton of stuff to do.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Championships have always driven me to win races. That 3 car pulling into the track would cause people to look around and wonder what we were doing, to see how to beat us."
-Dale Earnhardt
-Dale Earnhardt
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NASCAR ON TV THIS WEEK Qualifying: Nextel Cup Dodge Charger 500 Friday, May 12 3:30 p.m. Speed
Qualifying: Busch Series Diamond Hill Plywood 250 Friday, May 12 5 p.m. Speed
Final practice: Nextel Cup Series Dodge Charger 500 Friday, May 12 6:30 p.m. Speed
Busch Series Diamond Hill Plywood 250 Friday, May 12 8 p.m. FX
Nextel Cup Dodge Charger 500 Saturday, May 13 6:30 p.m. Fox
All time Eastern. Times and station subject to change.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well, that's all for today. Until the next time, I remain,Your
Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"
"Don't come here and grumble about going too fast. Get the hell out of the race car if you've got feathers on your legs or butt. Put a kerosene rag around your ankles so the ants wins't climb up there and eat that candy ass." - Dale Earnhardt – 1998
"It's nothin' personal, it's just racin'
-Dale Earnhardt Sr.
This list is authored by:
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